Hundred
by katemary77
Summary: In what might've been the last moments of my life, I thought of Jacob's warmth, the dark sensuality of his eyes, his smile when I'd whispered those words in his ear and the desperate happiness I'd felt lying in his arms. Imprint story, Jacob/OC.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own it.

**Hundred**

_katemary77_

**Prologue**

_**So this is where you are and this is where I am,**_

_**somewhere between unsure **_

_**and a hundred.**_

_**Hundred, **_**The Fray**

As I stared into the blood-red eyes of the creature that might kill me, I couldn't help but think of all the time I'd wasted. I'd been so stupid, so foolish to think that I could deny what'd happened between Jacob and I for so long. Why had I wasted those precious months? Why had I insisted on starting out slow, being 'just friends'? I whined low in my throat at the thought of the seconds, minutes, hours I'd let pass by without telling him how much I loved him.

Then, the left side of my brain kicked in and I remembered that the girl who had fled to La Push all those months ago hadn't been a girl ready to fall drastically into life-changing, world-moving love. I'd needed that time to process the sharp, tragic turn my life had taken and to adjust to the idea of a _soul mate_, of spending the rest of my life with one beautiful man, and to the ferocity of my own feelings for him. I'd needed time and when I was ready, he was waiting.

In what might've been the last moments of my life, I thought of Jacob's warmth, the dark sensuality of his eyes, his smile when I'd whispered those words in his ear and the desperate happiness I'd felt lying in his arms.

I lunged.


	2. Wherever I Go

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own it.

_A/N:_ This is set post-Eclipse. Breaking Dawn never happened. The point of view will change but I've always hated it when writers break the flow of a chapter to tell you that it's changing so I'll leave it for you to figure out Please review! Sorry, no new chapters I just reloaded these because took away the page breaks I'd put in where the POV changes so, as one reviewer noted, it was difficult to read. Thanks!

**Hundred**

_katemary77_

**Chapter One**

_**Wherever I go, whatever I do,**_

_**I wonder where I am in my relationship to you.**_

_**- In Your Atmosphere,**_** John Mayer**

The half moon had risen with the evening as darkness settled over La Push reservation. The light from the moon filtered weakly through the shifting clouds, intermittently illuminating the ocean and the canopy of the dense rainforest that reached the very edges of the cliffs. I was running, feeling the earth pound underneath my outstretched limbs. I loved running. When my brothers weren't phased, when it was just me alone on patrol – something that happened all the more often these days – I wasn't bothered by thoughts. I didn't think, didn't remember, didn't imagine; just moved, sprinted through the forest. In this form, everything was simple. There was the chilled wind cutting at my fur as I ran, the dirt and leaves at my feet, the sharp smell of damp, rotting wood and the – wait.

I slowed. Coming to a stop, I sat back on my haunches and breathed the evening air deeply. There was something there, a new but somehow familiar scent coming towards me, stronger and stronger as I sat, waiting. It was the smell of spring flowers, although it was autumn, and there was an undertone to it that I recognised immediately: werewolf. I searched the pack mind but I was still the only werewolf phased. Perhaps another young Quileute had made the transformation? I shook my head; now that the bloodsuckers had gone, surely the transformations of my tribe's people had ended.

Up ahead, I caught a flash of light brown, almost gold, moving swiftly through the trees. Instinctively, I growled low in my throat. Closer to me now, the figure approached. It was a wolf, small and lithe, with large hazel eyes. It was limping slightly, as if its feet were injured somehow. I advanced warily. The wolf began to shiver and, understanding its intentions, I shifted as well. I felt my body elongating, becoming upright, and my fur turn into smooth skin.

My change completed, I took in the figure before me.

It was a girl. She was tall and slim and her long brown hair covered the bareness of her breasts. I could tell from the muted sienna of her skin and the high planes of her face that she was Native American, perhaps even Quileute, though not full-blooded like me. My gaze travelled to her eyes – hazel and framed by full lashes – and our eyes locked.

The world spun, tilted, stopped moving. My heart skipped a beat, splintered, fell apart and when it came together again it was hers. My breath caught in my throat and when I exhaled I knew that every breath I drew from that moment on would be for her and her only.

I took a step forward, euphoric at the feeling of deepest love and contentment that was flowing to my core, when the clouds shifted above. In the filtering moonlight, I could see that the girl – the woman I knew I would spend the rest of my life with – was crying. I took another step forward and she sobbed, breaking the silence that had settled around us.

What had happened? Who had hurt her? One part of me wanted to take her into my arms and tell her everything would be okay and the other wanted to track down whatever had hurt her and shred it to pieces.

"What can I do?"

I didn't know what else to say.

"Take me to La Push," she answered eventually. She seemed to know that she didn't need to coat her request with politeness, not for me. "To Rebecca Uley."

"Rebecca Uley?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't met Sam's mum very often, but from the impression I got from his mind, she was kind and cared deeply for her son.

"You know where she lives?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied. "We'll get there quicker if we run."

I crouched, touching my fingertips to the forest floor, ready to phase. But she hadn't moved from her position a few feet ahead of me. I straightened again.

"I don't… I don't know how to change back," she admitted softly.

"Was this your first phase?"

She looked a little blank but nodded; "Phase? It's never happened before. I don't know… I don't understand what happened."

I nodded; clearly she had no idea what had happened to her. No wonder she was crying. But there wasn't any time to explain all of this now, I wanted to get her to Rebecca Uley – and more importantly, to Sam – as soon as possible.

"Feel for the warmth along your spine," I told her, "The heat at the base of you. Pull it forward."

She concentrated and after a few suspended moments, her slim body morphed into a golden brown wolf. Swiftly, I shifted as well. Facing the half moon, I breathed the night air deep and let out a piercing howl. Minds burst alive inside me as my brothers phased.

_Jacob, what's wrong?_ came the authoritative voice of my alpha. Silent but wavering in the background were the presences of Paul and Embry.

_I found a girl in the forest. She's a wolf. She wants me to take her to your mother. _

As I mentioned the girl, my thoughts drifted to her and the moment that she had phased in front of me

_Do you recognise her?_

_Yes,_ he answered eventually, _That's my cousin Ada._ _I haven't seen her in years._

_The years have been good to her, _Paul thought wickedly.

Sam growled at us.

_Hey, she's hot and she's naked!_ Paul offered in his defence.

_Take her to La Push, Jacob_, Sam instructed. _I'll meet you there._

He phased out.

_Night bro, have fun,_ I heard, before Embry phased as well, followed closely by Paul.

I barked softly at the girl I had found – Ada, I reminded himself – and began to trot towards La Push through the dense undergrowth of the forest. She kept pace with me and we weaved in and out of the tall forest trees, expertly jumping over roots and ducking under low branches.

As we neared the edges of the reservation, Sam appeared in his wolf form in front of us. As if it was primal instinct to her, Ada flattened her ears and lowered her tail, sinking down so that her belly brushed the forest ground as she approached Sam. Once she was in front of him she reached up, darting her tongue out to lick the muzzle of the huge black beast, before sinking back down onto her belly. With this act of submission to the alpha wolf, Ada was accepted into the pack and her mind was suddenly open to the pack plural. I only caught a glimpse of her thoughts – shock and a sense of underlying sorrow – when she suddenly phased back into her human form.

"Sam?" she asked, uncertain.

Both he and I phased back instantaneously and dressed. Sam took a step towards her and I noticed again that she was crying. She stumbled – almost fell – into Sam's arms, sobbing now in earnest. I stifled the jealous growl that rose in my throat. Sam glanced sharply at me as he helped Ada into one of Emily's dresses.

"Come on, Ada," he said quietly, leading her out of the forest, "My house is just over here. We can sit down and explain what's happened to you."

Abruptly she stopped. "No, I need to speak to Auntie Bec. My mum – " her voice broke. She looked up at Sam. "My mother is dead."

* * *

"How long were you running?"

I looked down at the young woman. She lifted my ankle and gently brushed a cloth over the pad of my right foot. The antiseptic stung.

"I don't know," I answered quietly. My voice was hoarse; I hadn't used it in a while. "What day is it?"

She frowned. The downwards turn of her mouth pulled at the scars on her face.

"Thursday."

I looked down at my hands, folded on my lap.

"Two days."

Emily lowered my foot back down into the warm water of the basin she was crouching over. She picked up my other foot and repeated the process.

"I'll wrap them so you can walk," she told me, binding my feet in clean, white bandages. "But it shouldn't take long for the cuts to heal." She dabbed antiseptic along the slashes on my legs and arms. In my frenzied sprint I'd been unaware of the rocks and branches that I'd grazed past. "You'll heal faster now."

Now, she said. Now that I was a werewolf. Something had happened to me, something strange and unfathomable, right out of the legends of our people. I didn't understand it but right now I really didn't want to. I didn't care. I could grow wings, find out I was from an alien planet; it didn't matter to me now. Nothing did. My mother was dead.

Downstairs, a door slammed.

"That must be Rebecca," Emily said. Wrapping a cardigan around my shoulders, she herded me gently downstairs.

As I entered, three pairs of dark eyes shifted to me. Rebecca and Sam Uley were standing around the kitchen table, where the boy who had found me, Jacob, was sitting. Something had happened there, too, when Jacob and I had met in the forest, but this would have to be dealt with later.

Auntie Bec strode towards me. She was a small woman, minute next to her giant son, and her attractive face had aged slightly since I last saw her. Worry lines were carved around her mouth and eyes.

"Alameda," she said, grasping me by the shoulders. "Is what Sam says true?"

I nodded, feeling my eyes fill with tears again.

"Oh, my sister," Auntie Bec said softly, drawing me into an embrace. I sobbed aloud, allowing myself to relax for the first time in days. Rebecca pulled back. There were tears on her dark face. "Tell me what happened," she commanded, directing me to a seat at the table. She sat beside me, grasping my hand with both of hers. Emily and Sam took seats as well.

With my other hand I covered my face. It was shaking. How could I explain to them what had happened? What would they do? Would they hate me for not saving my mother, for never saying anything, for letting her die? I took a deep breath. No. These people were my family. They would understand.

"How did Sarah die?" Auntie Bec pressed.

I took my hand away and opened my eyes.

"My father killed her."

Auntie Bec's face hardened. Across the table, both Sam and Jacob were shivering, the outlines of their bodies blurred. The air was charged, as if with electricity. My eyes widened.

"Boys," Emily said quietly but firmly, "Stop it."

Sam reacted first to her words, calming visibly. He slapped a hand on Jacob's shoulder and the younger man relaxed.

I looked at my Auntie. Her face was tense, unspeaking, as she looked out the window of the small kitchen, despite the tears tracking silently down it.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling tears spill over my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, keeping myself together. "I should've done something, or said something. I never did anything to stop it. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."

"Ada," Emily said, breaking my panicked speech, "Why don't you start from the beginning."

I unwrapped my arms and pushed my trembling fingers through my hair, taking a deep breath.

"A few months ago my father lost his job. He's always been… absent, I guess, but he got worse. He started drinking pretty heavily. He came home blind drunk one night and fell over, broke the TV. He and my mum got into a huge fight about the TV and his job and money, all that kind of stuff. That was the first time he hit her." I wasn't sure anyone but Emily was listening. Auntie Bec, Sam and Jacob weren't looking at me and sat silent, staring out the window, at the wall or down at the kitchen table. But Emily was looking at me, listening, encouraging me to talk. And it felt good, to finally speak these words out loud, to finally tell someone what'd been happening in my house for months.

"It got worse. Every time he came home drunk they'd fight and he'd hit her. I wanted her to tell someone, to go to the police or call Auntie Bec but my dad threatened her… he said if she ever told anyone he'd kill us both. And after every fight he'd apologise, blame it on her or on alcohol, say that it would never happen again and she'd _believe _him. She completely believed that it was her fault that he hit her, that she'd done something wrong. I'll never understand it. I thought about telling someone myself but I was terrified. What if he found out? What if I came home from the police station to find her dead on the floor? So I never did. Once, we left him. That fight had been worse than most and she'd packed our stuff up. We got halfway to La Push before he called her, begging for forgiveness. And she just turned the car right back around. There were a few weeks after that when he stayed sober. I thought maybe that it was all over. But then he got knocked back at a job interview and it all started again."

"Did he ever hit you?" Jacob asked suddenly.

The sound of his voice came as a shock; I hadn't heard him speak since we'd been in the forest. The ferocity of it took me by surprise, too.

"No," I answered eventually. "He never hit me. But sometimes… sometimes I was sure he was going to."

"What happened on Tuesday?" Emily asked. I decided I liked her; she was gentle but direct and knew how to take control of a situation.

"I'd been sick," I began to explain. "I'm not sure what I had. I was running a fever and I was shaky… I just felt really unwell. My mum was really worried and she'd skipped work for a week. We didn't have enough money for hospital. I'm not really sure exactly what happened." I took another deep breath and clenched my fists on top of the table. "The phone rang. It was my mum's work and my dad answered. They weren't happy. Neither was he. We needed the money badly. It was the worst fight they'd ever had. When… when she started screaming I went downstairs. When I got there she was already dead." My voice broke over the words. "Something happened to me, I didn't understand – still don't. I just started running."

"Some of the tribe have been turning into werewolves," Sam explained quietly. "To defend Quileute lands against vampires. There must've been a vampire coven near you in Vancouver to make you change."

"Oh."

Werewolves. Vampires. Protecting the land. Outlandish as these things were, they stayed on the periphery of my mind.

Suddenly, Auntie Bec stood. She bent down and pulled me up into a fierce hug.

"Oh, Ada," she said, her hand on the back of my head, holding me to her. "I don't blame you at all, honey. This wasn't your fault. I wish Sarah had come to me."

She kissed my cheek and released me.

Rebecca moved to the next room and I heard her on the phone, asking the director for the number of the Vancouver Police Department.

"Are you hungry, Ada?" Emily asked.

I was, but the thought of eating made me feel sick. "No. I'd just like to go to bed, if that's alright."

Auntie Bec returned to the kitchen.

"We'll need to go to Vancouver tomorrow," she told me. "The police would like a statement from you. They haven't found your father yet."

"And you can get your things," Emily added. She raised a hand to my arm, squeezing gently. "You're staying here, with us."

* * *

"Ada, sweetie, wake up."

I shot upright with a jerky motion.

Emily was standing over me with a soft smile.

"Emily…" I said drowsily.

"Come downstairs," she replied. "Breakfast is on the table. Better get some now before Sam and Jacob inhale it all."

I nodded vaguely and she left the room. Pushing my hands through my tangled hair, I swept it up into a messy bun with the hair tie Emily had loaned me. Shaking the bed sheets from my legs, I swung them off the bed and stood. I gave myself a once over. Emily had given me a pair of boxer shorts and a plain white cami to sleep in; this would have to do until I could get a shower, at least.

Jacob looked up from his breakfast as soon as I entered the room. The strength of his gaze caused me to pause. Usually, that kind of attention from a man would make me uncomfortable, but somehow I felt myself relaxing under his dark eyes. My shoulders slackened and I felt my body loosening. Unaware, I smiled at him.

"We'll start out for Vancouver as soon as you're ready, Ada," Sam said as I sat down.

I nodded silently and poured myself a bowl of cereal, dousing it in milk. I hadn't realised how hungry I was until I tasted the first spoonful. In what seemed like only a few seconds, the entire bowl was empty.

Across from me, Jacob grinned.

"You have a faster metabolism as a wolf," he explained, "You'll eat a lot more."

Emily rolled her eyes, sitting down with a cup of coffee.

"Honestly, you boys are going to eat us out of house and home!" she laughed. "You'll have to watch out for yourself, Ada. It's every person for themselves at mealtimes."

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. I appreciated what they were doing, trying to lighten the mood, keep my mind of what I had to accomplish that day. Soon, I had showered and changed into more of Emily's clothes. I was grateful for her generosity but I was looking forward to being in my own clothes; she was a lot smaller than me. Not long after, Auntie Bec had arrived and we were marching towards the car. There was a small trailer attached, which I assumed was for my belongings.

"Don't you have school today, Jacob?" Sam asked.

Jacob was wavering uncertainly, his hand outstretched towards the door.

"Let me come," he answered. "I won't get anything done in school anyway; I won't be able to concentrate."

Sam sighed. "You've already missed a lot," he retorted.

"Please."

Sam looked to me, as if this were my decision. I didn't know why, but I desperately did not want to be parted from Jacob Black.

"Can he come?" I asked.

The words were hardly out of my mouth when Jacob opened the car door and swung his large body in. I followed. Emily squeezed in beside me along the back seat. It was a long car trip to Vancouver. Sam, Jacob and Emily filled the silence by telling me more about my heritage, the Quileute history that had come alive in my blood, and what it meant to be a werewolf. Auntie Bec was quiet, staring at the scenery that passed.

The police asked all the questions I'd expected them to, over and over again, as if they worried that my story might change. It didn't. Only Auntie Bec was allowed into the interrogation room with me and I hated to see her face as I described watching my father lower my mother's dead body to the ground. She didn't need to hear that. When I signed the bottom of my statement, I felt the tension in my body release. Hopefully I would never have to tell this story again.

"We haven't found your father yet," the chief detective told me. "We've alerted the police department in Forks. If he comes to you, please call Chief Swan."

I went cold. This was something I hadn't considered. "You think he'll try to find me?"

The detective's face softened. "We just don't know; it's certainly a possibility."

"Mrs. Uley, may I have a word?"

My Aunt nodded and he and the other detective escorted me outside.

Jacob jumped up.

"How did it go?"

I shrugged, "Fine, I guess. I'm just glad it's over."

Jacob placed his warm hands on my shoulders and directed me into the seat he'd just vacated. It was still warm. Emily, who was sitting beside me, put her hand on my forearm. I couldn't muster up a smile for her.

"They think my dad might try to find me. They think he might come to La Push."

Jacob shook his head. "There's no way that will happen," he said firmly, "Right, Sam?"

My cousin nodded, standing up on the other side of Emily.

"We won't let him near you, Ada."

Auntie Rebecca emerged with the detective. Now came the hard part.

The drive to my house was silent, apart from the quiet directions I was giving Sam. When we pulled over in front of my home it took me a moment to find the courage to open up my seat buckle and climb out of the car. The others hovered, as if waiting for me to make the first move. With a determined look, I started off down to the front door. Fishing out the key from underneath an ornamental turtle, I pushed it into the lock and turned the door. The door swung open and I wavered, unsure, in the threshold for the barest of moments before entering.

Of their own volition my eyes wandered towards the spot in the living room, right there, where my dad had been standing. Someone had cleaned up. The stench of bleach was strong in the air.

"My room is upstairs," I said quietly.

I directed Jacob to the closet, and he grabbed two large suitcases which I would use to pack my things.

Emily was great. She helped me pick out clothes that I would need and discard ones that weren't suitable for the climate up in La Push.

Emily directed her gaze to my bookshelf.

"There's no bookshelf in your room at home," she said, "Maybe we should just take the whole thing?"

I nodded and she called Sam to carry it down to the car, which he did with ease.

"I wonder if I could've carried that?" I wondered.

Emily smiled; "You'll have to test your strength when we get home."

We finished packing up the room and Emily asked gently if there was anything of my mothers I wanted to take with me. I nodded. We went to her room and with shaking fingers I chose a few things to keep with me. I made sure Rebecca took some things as well.

"Hey, is this yours?"

Jacob was standing in the doorway, a guitar in his hands.

I nodded and pointed to the engraving on the side.

"'To my baby Ada, may music make your world brighter. Love mum.'"

"Don't you want to bring that?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," I answered after a moment, "Yeah, I guess."

I knew I wouldn't play my guitar again. Looking at it only reminded me of her, of the hours we would spend singing together, and of the smile she would grace me with whenever I played. Those thoughts were too painful to think of now.

By the time we started the journey home to La Push, I was exhausted. The scenery outside the car blurred into an endless stretch of green and brown and the quiet voices of Sam and Auntie Bec in the front became an indistinct hum. I felt myself relaxing against Jacob's side and before I knew it, I was asleep.

* * *

When Sam put the car into brake and took the keys out of the ignition, I looked down at the girl who was sleeping softly beside me.

"Do you think you can move her without waking her up?" Emily whispered, slipping out of her car seat.

I nodded.

The sky was darkening over La Push and the air had chilled, although the cold breeze didn't goose bump Ada's skin as I carried her into the house. She was so warm and soft against me and I hated letting her go, settling her amongst the bed sheets that Emily had pulled back. The older woman shooed me out of the room as she took off Ada's shoes and jeans.

Back in the kitchen, Sam was heating up last night's potato bake. Rebecca had left.

"How's your mum?" I asked quietly.

Sam was watching the microwave plate turn in circles. He sighed.

"Okay, I guess. She hadn't seen Sarah in years."

"Did they always live in Vancouver?"

Sam nodded and pulled three plates out of the cupboard.

"Yeah. She met Trevor when he came up here on a camping trip. She was pretty young, about twenty I think. She moved back south with him and I guess she and mum just lost touch. Last time they visited was Christmas a few years ago. Trevor didn't come."

I hung my head in my hands. "I can't believe a man could ever do that to his wife. I just can't understand how someone could intentionally hurt the person that they love."

"It's not love, Jake," Sam replied, "That kind of relationship has nothing to do with love." He opened the microwave and prodded the dish before closing the door again. Without facing me, he said, "You've imprinted."

I knew it wasn't a question; Sam had probably known from the instant that we'd been phased together last night. There just hadn't been time for this conversation to take place.

"Yeah."

The microwave beeped.

"Did she imprint too?" Sam asked, setting the baking dish down between them.

"Yeah, I think so," I answered.

Sam sighed again; "Yeah, I think so too. You know she won't be ready for it, not for a while."

"I know."

Sam nodded and we tucked in to our meals.

"Oh, and Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

After dinner, I went home. It was difficult to tear myself away from the Uley house. Every particle of me told me to stay put, to protect Ada, to stay with her for always. But, as Sam reminded me, Ada needed space and I needed to talk to my father.

"Dad?"

"In here, son."

He was in the living room. I pulled off my shoes and sat down heavily on the couch. Dad shut off the television and turned to me.

"Everything okay, Jacob?"

I shrugged and rested my elbows on my knees.

"Did you hear about Rebecca Uley's sister?"

Dad nodded with a frown.

"I remember her. She was such a nice girl. It's a real shame. How is young Alameda?"

At the mere mention of her name I felt electricity course down my spine.

"As well as she can be, I guess. She gave her statement to the police and picked up some things from Vancouver today. I suppose it's good that's over and done with."

"You went with Sam?"

I nodded.

"I… I couldn't leave her. Dad," I took a deep breath, wondering how on earth he was going to react to this. "Dad, I imprinted."

Dad's face broke out into the biggest grin that would fit on his face.

"Son, that's fantastic!"

He clapped me on the back and ruffled my hair. I rolled my eyes but let him do it. There hadn't been much cause for celebration around here lately.

"When can I meet her?"

I frowned.

"I don't know, Dad. Sam said I should give her some space, you know?"

Dad nodded wisely.

"That sounds like the right course of action, Jake. She'll need some time to work through what's happened." He grinned. "But that won't stop you from inviting her over for dinner."

"Yes, Dad," I answered, smiling despite myself.

"Now get to your room and do your homework!"


	3. Lover, Please

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own it.

**Hundred**

_katemary77_

**Chapter Two**

_**Lover, please do not fall to your knees**_

_**It's not like I believe in everlasting love.**_

_**- Ghosts,**_** Laura Marling**

We held my mother's funeral on First Beach. Auntie Bec said a few words about her sister, and some of my mother's old friends told stories of what she'd been like when she was young; carefree, loving and fun. I cried and tossed my mother's ashes from the highest cliff of La Push. The wind caught them up and carried them out to sea. After this, the small crowd began to trickle back to Sam and Emily's for the wake, but I couldn't leave.

"You come down when you want to," Emily said gently, squeezing my shoulders.

What if I never wanted to? I almost laughed, imagining myself camping out here forever, growing old and wrinkled.

Once everyone had gone I let the floodgates open. Loud, messy sobs were ripped from my throat and my shoulders shook with the weight of my grief. How could this be happening? How could my mother – my best friend – be gone? It was so unfair. I'd never get to gush with her about my first serious boyfriend; she'd never get to cry at my wedding. I'd never get to see her hold my children, or cry on her shoulder when my heart got broken. She'd never see me graduate, never send me off to college, never help me pick an outfit for my first job. So much had been stolen from me.

Eventually I grew quiet. Now that I'd had my big, wracking, heart-wrenching cry I felt that a burden had been lifted, I felt _relieved_. Now I could begin saying goodbye to my mother properly, how she would've wanted me to.

"I love you, mummy," I whispered, and the wind took my words out to the ocean, out to her. "I miss you so much." My voice broke, and I angrily wiped away fresh tears. "I'm so sorry that I didn't help you. I should've told someone, should've come downstairs sooner, before he – " I cut myself off. The time for regrets had passed. "You were the best mum. I'm going to miss so much about you. I'm going to miss your voice. I'm going to miss how you always knew when I felt down and how it was always so easy for you to bring me back up. I'm going to miss your cuddles… no one cuddles as good as you, mum. I'm going to miss your stupid jokes, and your foghorn sneezes. I'm going to miss the way you always told me something looked good on me, even if it was terrible. I'm going to miss hearing you hum every morning. I'm going to miss everything." Another sob came from me, making my chest heave and my shoulders tremor. "I love you."

It was dark before someone came for me. I heard their heavy footprints on the uneven ground, and the sound of twigs and leaves crunching under their feet. I turned my head. A tall body, just a silhouette in the dark evening, was moving towards me. Slowly, I began to make out his features. Dark russet skin, smooth, high cheekbones and liquid brown eyes. His hair was longish, cropped around his shoulders, and his body was tall and toned. He sat next to me, and I could feel waves of electricity in the air between us.

"Jacob," I said softly.

"Emily was worried," he said in explanation for his presence. "She just wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine," I said, hanging my head and staring at my lap. I let my long hair fall over my shoulder, hiding my face from his view.

He made a soft, disbelieving sound in the back of his throat.

We sat for a long while in silence. It was comfortable, not awkward like it should've been, or would've been with any other person. Jacob didn't feel the need to fill every quiet moment with conversation, in fact he didn't speak at all. He seemed to utterly understand that small talk and condolences weren't at all necessary.

Eventually, though, he did speak.

"My mother died when I was seven."

"Yes, I remember. We came to the funeral."

"You did?"

I nodded. "Our mothers were friends, I guess." Sophie Black's funeral was the only funeral I'd been to, before my mother's. Billy Black hadn't been in a wheelchair then, and I remembered seeing his two daughters cling to him throughout the ceremony. I remembered Jacob, too. He'd looked bewildered and lost, as if he didn't quite understand what was happening. I remembered thinking it was so sad that he'd lost his mummy.

I drew my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. "Do you ever – " I'd been going to say 'get over it,' but it really didn't seem like the right expression. I turned my head, my cheek taking the place of my chin so I could look right at him. "Does it ever get easy?"

He shook his head. "Not easy. Just easier. Eventually you stop thinking about her all the time, just some of the time instead. And instead of thinking about the bad stuff, you think about the good stuff and it sort of makes you happy instead of sad."

I nodded pensively and turned my face back to the sea. "Your sisters…"

"Gone," he finished. "Rebecca's in Hawaii with her husband and Rach is at WSU. They couldn't stay, after..."

Slowly he reached out with his hand and pushed my hair behind my ear, so he could see my face.

"I don't think it'll be so hard for you. You're here now, and you only have memories of her here, not of him."

I nodded and admitted, "La Push already feels like more of a home than Vancouver ever did. I love being near the ocean. I just… I just wish she was here as well."

I was crying again, but quietly this time, not the same out of control weeping as before. Jacob rested his hand against my back and rubbed it up and down. He didn't get any closer or crowd me, he just sat there, soothing me until I was calm.

"How do you – why is it that you know exactly how to comfort me?" I asked, and I was sure that he understood the subtext of my question. Why was he such a balm to me? Why did it feel like everything would look better from his arms? Why did I ache just to touch him? I'd only known this boy for a few days; why did I feel like my world would shatter if he ever left me?

He sighed deeply. He pushed his hair away from his face and then leant back on his hand.

"There's something werewolves do, it's called imprinting."

"Imprinting…" I rolled the word around my tongue.

"It's sort of… a short cut, I guess. It's difficult to explain."

Carefully, carefully, I rested my hand on his.

"Try?"

"We don't really know why it happens, it doesn't even happen to all of us. Some of the elders have theories… Ada, do you believe in soul mates?"

I shrugged.

"Sometimes. Maybe. I don't know."

He sighed again.

"You will now. Like I said, imprinting is like fast tracking love. When you imprint, it's like your soul shifts inside of you, like you'll never look at the world the same way. Like that person has… taken your heart out of your body and you won't ever get it back."

"But you don't want it back, because you know that it'll be safest with them," I finished. I'd been gazing at the churning sea below us as he spoke, but now I looked at him. I found Jacob's eyes were fixed on my own. His eyes blackened to the darkest brown as I said, "Like I felt when I first saw you."

He nodded.

"I like to think that if we weren't werewolves, if we couldn't imprint, we'd still have met and fallen in love and spent our lives together, only we would've done it slower."

There was a bit of a smirk in the corner of his mouth. He turned his hand over and wound his fingers through mine. We sat in silence for a while, watching the moon rise above the ocean.

"Jacob," I said ultimately, "I can't do this now. I need some time. I need – " I took in a huge, gaping breath and covered my heavy eyes with my hand. Suddenly I felt his warm fingers grasping my hand, pulling it from my face. With his other hand he cupped my face, his fingertips buried in my hair.

"I know," he said simply. "I'll be whatever you want me to be, Ada, whenever you want me. I can wait forever, for you."

I smiled at him. "Not forever. Be my friend, just for now."

He curled his arms over my shoulders and drew me closer to him. With his lips he kissed my forehead, just at my hairline. I rested my head against his chest, and we sat there through the night.

* * *

The next day, I was to formally meet the rest of the Quileute werewolf pack. I was still somewhat adjusting to the idea of a werewolf pack at all, and so just fifteen minutes before they were due to arrive, I was staring blankly at my newly unpacked and organised wardrobe. Emily, walking past my room, caught sight of me and stopped, leaning against my doorframe with her eyebrow raised.

"What exactly does one wear when meeting her new mutant werewolf brothers/sisters/colleagues/whatever they are?" I asked, exasperatedly throwing my hands in the air.

"I don't think anyone's going to care what you're wearing," Emily soothed, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Besides, they'll be seeing you in your birthday suit or next to it often enough."

"Shit, I forgot about that," I muttered, lowering my head into my hands.

"Don't worry about it," she continued. "I know Leah was embarrassed at first, but everybody got past it. It'll be the same with you."

"That's right," I replied, "I forgot there was only one other girl-wolf. What's she like?"

Something passed over Emily's features that I couldn't identify. Guilt, maybe? I vaguely remembered reports of Sam once dating a Leah, maybe there'd been some drama there.

Emily shrugged it off and answered, "Leah's nice, once you get to know her. She's been through a lot in the past few years."

It seemed like everyone had been through a lot the past few years.

"How about that one?" Emily asked, pointing at a knee-length powder blue dress. "You're lucky you have so many dresses, they're the most convenient outfit to carry around with you when you're phased." I'd always loved dresses, and they were certainly the staple of my wardrobe. I'd have to borrow Emily's sewing machine sometime soon though; my growth spurt meant that most of my frocks would now be a tight fit.

I sighed and pulled it off the hanger.

"I guess I won't need to wear it with tights."

Emily laughed as she headed downstairs, no doubt to oversee the feast she was preparing. "No, you won't need those anymore," she said, her voice drifting up to me.

Swiftly, I changed into my dress, pulling it over my body. Looking in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my vaguely wavy hair and wished for the millionth time that it would make its mind up. Slicking on some strawberry chapstick, I decided that I was ready enough and bounded down the stairs after Emily.

An amazing sight met me as I entered the kitchen.

"Wow," I mumbled, my eyes fixed to the piles and piles of food. "I guess they all have my appetite?"

"Worse!" Emily answered, rolling her eyes skyward.

There was a loud bang as the front door was thrown open that made me jump and suddenly Sam was in the room, smiling kindly at me.

"Nervous?" he asked.

I nodded, rubbing my sweaty palms against my legs.

"Don't be."

_Easy for you to say_, I thought, as eight large, semi-naked male bodies burst into the room. I spotted Jacob amongst them. Their faces held traces of laughter, as if someone had told a joke just before they entered the house.

"Emily!" one of them, the stockiest, shouted happily. "Food!"

"Don't get too excited, Quil," came a scornful voice. "Wouldn't want you to piss your pants." A woman had entered the room after them – a stunning woman – who I assumed was Leah. She had short, cropped hair and I fingered the lengths of my own, hoping I wouldn't have to cut mine to join the group.

Quil scowled at her and looked ready to retort when Jacob took a step towards him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Let it go," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Sam stepped up then, and announced in an authoritative voice, "Everyone, this is my cousin Alameda."

"Just Ada," I corrected quietly.

There was a moment of silence, broken by a gangly boy with a huge grin stepping forward and giving me a quick one-armed hug.

"Hi!" he said as he let go. "I'm Seth, welcome to La Push."

Seth seemed to break the ice. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with hugs, handshakes and pats on the back. The only werewolf I didn't properly meet was Leah, who had slipped out at some point. Once everybody else was preoccupied with Emily's food, I dished up two plates and followed my nose out to the back porch. Leah was there, a slim white cigarette between her lips. Her dark eyes flashed over to me as she lit it with a match.

"Don't tell me, smoking kills."

I sat down beside her on the bench.

"Do we even die?"

She shook her head with a wry smile, staring at her lap.

"Here."

She took the food from me with a quiet thank you.

We ate in silence. When we finished, Leah took another cigarette from her packet and lit up. I didn't know how to talk to her. She was as hard as ice. I didn't know why, but I felt it was pivotal that Leah and I become friends. But what could I say?

Leah solved the problem for me.

"I'm sorry about your mum," she said.

"Yeah, me too." She took a final drag of her cigarette and pressed it out in the ashtray beside her. "This is all pretty crazy, huh," I said, inwardly rolling my eyes at my lame attempt at conversation.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Leah replied quietly.

"How long have you been phasing?"

"About two years now," she answered. "My brother, too. Seth."

"Oh." They seemed polar opposites, Seth a kind, bouncy, happy guy and Leah, all dark moods, frowns and muttered words. "You have the same eyes."

She looked up at me.

"Yeah, my father's eyes." I waited for her to say more. "He died last year. Heart attack."

"I'm so sorry, Leah."

"Yeah, me too."

I smiled at her and slowly, the tiniest of smiles curved her lips. She'd been stunning before, but now she was beautiful. The transformation was remarkable. I got the impression that Leah didn't smile very often and wondered why I was so lucky. Maybe she was just happy to not be the only female werewolf anymore. It must've been hard, doing it alone, especially if my suspicions about her and Sam were correct.

"Has someone taught you how to phase yet?"

I shook my head.

"I haven't, since the night I got here."

"Come on," she said, standing and jumping down the porch steps. "Into the forest."

I took my empty plate off my lap and followed her.

"Sam!" she bellowed, facing the house, "I'm taking Ada into the forest to teach her how to phase. No peaking!"

There was a chorus of "Ooohs," a sharp smack, and a yell from Sam in the affirmative.

"Brutes," Leah muttered as she charged into the forest.

Five minutes in, there was a patch of ground with no trees and Leah stopped, sliding swiftly out of her jeans and tank.

"If you like that dress I suggest you get out of it."

Blushing, I began undoing the buttons down my front.

"I suppose there's no point being embarrassed about this."

"Nope," she retorted with a smirk.

Her eyes softened when she saw my expression.

"I was mortified at first," she confided, "But the guys are pretty good about it. Just duck behind a tree when you phase out and make sure you've always got something tied to your ankle, a dress or a big t-shirt or something. Don't bother trying to take pants and a top, keeping one item of clothing attached to you is difficult enough."

I fingered my long waves again.

"What about my hair? Everyone seems to wear it short here."

"The length of it in human form corresponds to how long your fur is when you're a wolf. Long hair can get pretty irritating."

I frowned. My mother had loved my hair and I didn't want to cut it. An idea flashed into my mind. I wasn't sure it would work, but I quickly began to braid my hair with deft movements.

Leah's eyebrows pulled together.

"I'm not sure if that will work. I think the hairtie might just pop off like the rest of our clothes do."

I paused.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe if I do this…"

With a bit of difficulty, I managed to knot my hair at the ends of the braids. It looked pretty ratty, but the plait wasn't falling out.

"That's going to hurt to undo," Leah warned me.

I shrugged. My mum had spent hours playing with my hair since I was a kid; I had pretty high tolerance when it came to tugs on my scalp.

"Okay, I'm ready."

I'd left my knickers on. I wasn't quite that brave, and I had a million pairs anyway.

"It helps if you close your eyes, the first few times."

I did as she said.

"Just feel along the base of your spine, feel for the heat there. Now grasp it and pull it forward."

I tried, I really did, long and hard, and all I got for my efforts was a headache.

I opened my eyes. Leah shrugged.

"Try again."

Fifteen minutes passed and nothing had happened. I couldn't even make my body shimmer, like the others did when they were seconds from phasing. My eyes were downcast, dejected.

Leah shrugged again.

"Maybe you're not cut out for it," she said, scorn creeping to the edges of her voice. "I suppose that would make sense, after all, your father _is _white."

A growl loosed itself from my throat, surprising me. Leah's eyes brightened.

"Don't talk about him," I spat out.

"Why not?" she cooed, "Does it make you upset to think about him, about what he did? Does it make you cry? Come on, cry baby, cry!"

"Don't!" I shouted. My body was tingling, anger was zapping up and down my spine, out to my fingers and down to my toes. I was shaking, shuddering, blurring around the edges.

"I bet you feel guilty," Leah whispered, "I bet you hate that you couldn't save her, that you didn't phase in time."

I screamed garbled words at her and my scream turned into a howl as my body exploded and the wolf burst out of me, hurtling towards Leah. I caught a glimpse of a triumphant smile before she herself phased and a lithe grey wolf was in front of me.

_Sorry, Ada_.

The sound of her voice startled me. I'd had no time to process the pack mind when I'd been phased with Sam and Jacob before and I marvelled at it now. Leah's consciousness was right there, in my mind, and I could see her thoughts crashing around in her head at a dizzying speed.

_I didn't mean any of that,_ she continued, _I knew it would make you phase._

_That's okay,_ I responded. She'd been right, the pure, unadulterated anger I'd felt at her words had made the wolf come roaring forward.

_Now you know what it feels like_, she said, or rather thought. _It should be easier now_.

_How do I phase back?_

_It's a little bit different to everyone,_ Leah said_, Just try_. _You need to be calm_.

I nodded and sat down on my haunches, closing my eyes again. I thought about being a human, thought about feeling the wind on my skin, of rubbing the forest dirt between my fingers, I thought about speaking words aloud. My body shimmered and I was a girl again.

Leah phased back as well.

"Well done," she said with a smile. "The braid worked, too. Looked a little silly though."

I laughed, imagining a hulking wolf with its fur neatly braided.

"Yeah, I bet."

By late afternoon, I could almost phase as quickly as Leah and Sam had decided to run me out to the La Push boundaries.

_We do patrols just twice a day now,_ Sam explained as we raced through the forest. The speed at which we could move was amazing and I felt like I was flying through the undergrowth. I'd never get enough of this. _The Cullens left about ten months ago and the area has been quiet since. _

_The Cullens?_

There was a flash of images in his memory of beautiful, pale and ethereal creatures that were clearly _something else_.

_They were the family of vampires that lived nearby. We had a treaty; as long as they only fed on animals and never came across the La Push boundary we would let them stay. They've gone now, to Alaska I think. _

There was another brief flash of images. A human girl, with long brown hair and pale white skin. She was laughing, being flung around in the air by a pair of strong, russet arms. Jacob.

_Who was that?_

I heard Sam sigh.

_Bella. She and Jacob were close. She married one of the leeches. They took her to Alaska to change her. _

_Change her?_ I thought with alarm_, You couldn't stop it?_

_Jacob tried to talk her out of it – _

_Wait, she _wanted _to be a vampire?_

_Yeah. It nearly killed Jake. _

I knew now from Sam's thoughts that Jacob had run from the pack, run from La Push. He'd been gone months, only returning once he knew that the Cullens had gone, taking Bella with them.

_He was in love with her_, I realised.

_Yes, I suppose_, Sam answered, _Or maybe infatuated. She wasn't good for him, Ada. Not like you'll be_.

I nodded, quiet. I didn't really know what to think.

_Come on_. Sam nudged me with his nose. _Let's get back home. It's almost time for the bonfire. Race you. _

I growled playfully and we took off, tearing through the forest at inhuman speed. When we arrived at Sam and Emily's small home, I ducked behind a large tree and phased, slipping on an old, paint-stained dress that I'd decided to take with me whenever I phased. I didn't want to ruin my nice clothes on the forest floor. When I emerged, Sam had slipped on old cut-off jeans and was waiting for me.

"Come on, cuz," he said with a smile, and slung his arm over my shoulder.

It was nice being around family again. I'd missed my aunt and cousin.

"Will Bec be at the bonfire tonight?" I asked as we entered the house.

"Yep, she'll be there. Everyone will be."

"Everyone?" I said nervously. I'd only just met the pack a few hours ago and was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

"Well, not everyone," he admitted. "The elders. Sue Clearwater, Quil Ateara Snr., and Billy Black. And the imprints as well. You'll meet Kim, Claire and Teresa."

"Okay."

"Stop making her nervous," Emily scolded. We'd entered the kitchen, where she was preparing food again. I wondered if Emily did anything _but_ take care of the pack. I knew she worked part time shifts at the local childcare centre and I wondered what the pack did to feed itself when she was gone. "Everybody is very nice. How did your run go?"

"Good," Sam answered. He moved to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and kissing the curve of her neck. Emily turned her head and smiled what I imagined was a private smile, meant only for the two of them.

I blushed a little and backed silently out of the kitchen. They were so in love, it was ridiculous. I'd never before met a pair so wholly enraptured by one another. I wondered if Jacob and I would ever look at each other like that. Reaching my room, I pulled off the dress I was wearing and put on a pair of olive green shorts, matching them with a beige singlet that had pretty embroidery around its neckline. After brushing out my hair, I lifted it up into a messy ponytail, leaving my longish bangs framing my face.

Satisfied, I re-entered the kitchen again, making sure to create a bit of a racket as I did. Sam and Emily were standing a safe distance away from each other. I grinned.

"Do you need a hand, Emily?"

"Sure! But be honest, are you a good cook? I once left Kim in charge of spaghetti sauce and it was a _disaster_."

"Um, I'm not so good with dinner, but I can bake pretty well."

"Excellent," Emily said, handing me an apron. "Take a look in the pantry and see what you can make."

There was a multitude of food in the pantry. Shifting through it, I found a few things I could use.

"How about choc-chip cookies and chocolate lava muffins?" I asked.

"Chocolate lava muffins?"

I pulled my head out of the pantry to smile at Emily.

"Secret family recipe, it goes back centuries." I poked my tongue out, letting her know I was joking. "My mum and I used to make them. They're ridiculous."

Her eyes softened.

"They sound yummy."

Half an hour and two trays of choc-chip cookies later, I was mixing the muffin mix together in a bowl when Jacob walked in.

"Mmm, smells good."

He reached his hand towards a cookie and I batted it away.

"They're for later," I told him.

Jacob sat at the kitchen table and pouted, turning his liquid brown eyes at me mournfully.

I laughed.

"I suppose you really are giving me puppy dog eyes." He winked. "Fine," I relented, "You can have one."

He grinned and like a little boy reached forward and snatched a cookie from a tray. I watched him bite into it.

"Mm, yummy, they're still all warm and gooey."

"Here, give me a bite."

With my hand on his shoulder, I reached out to take a bite from his hand but he pulled the cookie away.

"Hey, get your own cookie."

"I need to test the product," I told him.

He rolled his eyes and let me take a bite.

I chewed thoughtfully. It was good; just the right mix of crunchy and soft. When I turned back to the kitchen counter, I caught Emily's smile.

"What are you making now?" Jacob asked.

"Chocolate lava muffins."

"Lava muffins?"

"Yep."

He shrugged. "What is it with chicks and chocolate?"

"Chocolate is the food of the gods," I told him, very seriously.

Emily nodded gravely. "Men will never understand," she whispered to me in an aside.

After greasing the muffin trays, I started pouring a little bit of batter into each of the muffin holes.

"Mini muffins?" Emily, who was watching curiously, questioned.

I shook my head.

"Just wait. In a moment you will understand."

"You sound like Yoda," Jacob commented.

"Do or do not, there is no try," I intoned, digging around in the pantry. I emerged with a large jar of nutella and a spoon, turning to present both to Emily.

"Chocolate lava," she muttered, looking from me to the half-filled muffin trays to the batter that was still left in the mixing bowl. I could see her mind whirring away behind her eyes. They widened. "Nutella in the middle?"

I nodded.

"Wow," she whispered. "That's _inspired_."

Jacob shook his head. "Nutters."

The bonfire went well. My culinary contributions were welcomed with praise and after an awkward first half hour I settled into my place in the group. Quil Ateara Snr. was a magnificent story teller and everybody listened attentively to the legends I now knew to be true. His grandson, who had inherited his gift for story telling, took over then and added the latest pack's adventures to the legends of old. This was a little more informal, with the other pack members interjecting here and there with their own opinions and memories. I found myself relaxing more and more in their company, especially when Jacob came to sit beside me, his warm body brushing against mine.

I met the other girls of the group; Kim, who was quiet at first but warmed up to me by the end of the night, Claire, a darling toddler with curious eyes who charmed everybody in sight, and Teresa, the most recent addition to the group, barring me. She was from the northern Makah tribe and had stunning hazel eyes. She'd met Embry on a school field trip two months before.

Curled up in bed later that night, I knew with stunning clarity that I would be happy here. The people were becoming my family, and La Push was becoming my home.


	4. My Heart

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own it.

_A/N:_ A little shorter I think. Thanks for reading, I'd love it if you reviewed!

**Hundred**

_katemary77_

**Chapter Three**

**She took my heart**

**I think she took my soul**

** - **_**Closer**_**, Kings of Leon**

About a week after my first bonfire, I started at La Push High School. I didn't do well meeting new people, so I was a little nervous about that, but what frightened me more was how everybody was going to know about me and about what'd happened to my mother. La Push was a small community, and I hated to think about the sympathetic and pitying glances I was sure to get.

"Hurry up, Ada, Jacob will be here soon."

"Coming!" I yelled back at Emily from my room.

Throwing my hands up in the air and deciding it wouldn't matter how I looked anyway, I slipped on a pair of dark jeans and my purple Abbey Road t-shirt. Grabbing my school bag and black ballet flats, I raced down to the kitchen. Sam had left already for his construction job, but Emily was still there, dressed for work and eating breakfast at the table.

"Here."

I sat down and thanked Emily when she passed me a box of muesli. Drowning it in milk, I scarfed it down quickly and was just rinsing out my bowl when I heard the honk of a car from outside.

"See you, Em."

"Have a good day, good luck!"

"Thanks!" I called and let the front door slam behind me.

Jacob's Volkswagen Rabbit was parked outside. He waved at me from behind the wheel.

"Good morning," I chimed, opening the door and settling myself in the seats.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

He pulled out of the driveway.

"I usually sleep well. It's just the waking up part that I don't like."

Jacob grinned. "Nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't be, you already know a bunch of us."

This was true. Along with Jacob, I'd be attending school with Embry and Quil, who were seniors like me, and Collin, Seth and Brady, all sophomores. La Push wasn't a large town, so it didn't take long at all for us to arrive at the high school. Jacob raced around to my side of the car to open the passenger door for me. I rolled my eyes at him but he only smiled, putting his hand on the small of my back and directing me to the office.

"You must be Ada," a cheery woman said as Jacob pushed open the door to the office. "Good morning, Jacob."

"Good morning, Mrs. Jenkins."

She smiled at us and handed me a few slips of paper.

"Your schedule, a form for you to return to me once your teachers have signed it and a map of the school."

"She won't need that, Mrs. Jenkins," Jacob replied, handing the small map back to the plump lady. "I'll be showing her around today."

She smirked, assuming what I knew the entire school would soon be assuming. I shrugged internally; the assumption that Jacob and I were a couple wasn't something that would bother me. In fact, if it saved me from the romantic attentions that boys tended to show towards the new girl then all the better.

"Come on."

I studied my timetable, following Jacob into the school hallway. I smiled at the little bit of paper. "I have history first," I told him.

"With Mr. Reynolds?"

I nodded.

"Same."

At that information I felt a little relieved; at least I'd know someone in my first class.

Jacob noted my smile.

"You like history or something? This way."

I nodded, hiking my bag further onto my shoulder as we walked.

"It's my favourite subject, well, tied with English."

He made a face.

"Really? I'm awful at both of them."

"What do you like?"

"Maths, science, shop," he recited.

It was my turn to make a face.

"Ew. Give me an essay over formulae and equations anytime."

"But it's so straight forward with maths!" Jacob insisted. "With English and history everything's open, anything goes."

"Exactly!" I retorted. "You can take one event in history or one poem or novel and interpret it any way you want. As long as you can back it up, of course."

"That's where I usually run into trouble," he admitted. "Here, this is it."

Jacob reached his hand over my head to open the door and I moved under him to enter the classroom. Although I'd grown taller since phasing into a werewolf, Jacob still towered over me and I fit under his arm neatly.

Just as I expected, just about every face turned towards me when I entered.

_Damn._

"Ah. Miss Scott, I imagine?" a youngish man at the front of the class asked.

I nodded. Keeping my fingers crossed behind my back, I wished fervently that he wouldn't make me introduce myself to the class.

"I'm Mr. Reynolds. Jacob, you can take your seat. Do you have something for me to sign?"

"Yes, sir."

I passed him the slip of yellow paper and he added his signature to the first box.

"Now Alameda, we're in the middle of a module on German history at the moment and I'll understand if you have some difficulty following the class, but please do try your hardest to catch up. Here's a copy of the text book we've been reading from. Go ahead and take a seat where you like."

I nodded and smiled. He seemed nice. Turning, I studied my seating options. There'd only been single seats left when we'd come in – we'd entered just as the bell was ringing, after all – and so I wouldn't be able to sit with Jacob. He'd managed to save the seat in front of him though, and was gesturing wildly for me to take it now. I smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear, and sat down, pulling a notebook from my bag. While we waited for Mr. Reynolds to start the class, I flicked through the textbook he'd given me. It seemed pretty comprehensive.

"A-da," Jacob sang in a whisper, tugging on the end of my hair. I glared over my shoulder at him, but smiled to let him know I was joking.

"Alright class," Mr. Reynolds began, perched on the edge of his desk. "Today we'll be beginning with the Weimar period, which began after World War II and was a brief period of parliamentary republic in Germany. Now, if you've done the reading I assigned, one of you should be able to summarise why the Weimar period is so important in German history. Anyone?"

There was a silence of almost a minute. Mr. Reynolds sighed. I decided to take pity on him and raised my hand.

"Yes, Alameda," the teacher said, surprised.

"Um, well the Weimar period was important because it directly preceded the rule of Hitler and the NSDAP. A lot of people think that the instabilities of the period are one of the reasons that the Nazis won support in Germany in the first place."

"Can you say anything more about the problems Weimar Germany faced?" Mr. Reynolds pressed.

"Er... well, the Great Depression is one - that hit Germany pretty hard. And they could never really elect a stable government either. And the German people were pretty hostile, nobody was really too happy with how the war ended and the Treaty of Versailles sort of sucked, for them at least."

"Very good, Alameda. Did they teach German history at your old school?"

"No, Mr. Reynolds."

Everybody was looking at me a little dubiously. The teacher raised his eyebrows, as if to ask where I'd got my information from.

"The history channel?" I sort of asked with a bit of a shrug. A few people chuckled. I knew that I probably hadn't made the coolest first impression, but I didn't really care. I loved history and I loved English and I loved doing well at school, I wasn't about to hide my smarts just to fit in.

Mr. Reynolds turned to the blackboard and began writing and dutifully I opened my book to take the notes down. As I dotted the Is in 'armistice', a balled up bit of paper whizzed over my shoulder and landed in front of me. I flattened it out.

**Nerd. **

I grinned and scribbled underneath: _I love nerds… deep down we're all superheroes. _

Waiting until the teacher's back was turned, I bent my arm backwards, presenting the ball of paper in my fingers. Jacob grabbed it from me and I smiled down at my notebook when he snorted, covering it badly with a cough.

**HAH! Literally, in some cases. **

Half way through the class, Mr. Reynolds stopped lecturing and handed out worksheets. I was halfway through mine when another note landed on my desk.

**Remind me to sit next to you next time. None of this stuff makes sense to me. **

I glanced over my shoulder. Jacob was pouting at me.

_Only if I can sit next to you in maths. You look ridiculous. _

**Deal! And I look adorable.**

_Don't flatter yourself._

**Don't lie. You know you want me.**

I rolled my eyes.

_About as much as I want a poke in the eye with a rusty nail. _

This was a complete lie. He knew it, I knew it, the whole world knew it. There were a few long minutes where I had no response from Jacob and worried that I'd upset him. Finally, though, a little ball of paper careened over my shoulder.

**Did you hear that noise? It was my heart ripping in two.**

_Are you any good at sewing?_

He chuckled.

**Nope, you'll have to stitch it back together for me.**

_Hmm, I dunno, I'm not much of a sewer. _

**No, you're not much of an underground pipe that carries waste. **

I choked on air when I read the note and he laughed, tugging on the ends of my hair again.

The bell rang.

"Alright class, pages 52-65 for next class, please!" Mr. Reynolds shouted over the sound of chairs scraping against the linoleum floor as everyone stood up to leave. I noted this down quickly in my book before jumping up out of my chair. Jacob was standing beside my desk already, my book bag in his hands.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from him.

Jacob grinned.

"No worries, sewer head."

"If that name sticks we'll have serious problems," I warned.

He laughed and tousled my hair.

"People are staring," I informed Jacob. It was true. We were walking down the corridor to our next class and just about every second student was watching curiously.

"Ah, they're just surprised to see me with a girl," he answered.

"Centre of gay rumours, eh?"

"What?" Jacob spluttered.

I smirked, enjoying his reaction, and nudged him with my elbow.

He rolled his eyes.

"No, I just haven't really dated anybody from school. Not that we're dating!" he hurried to correct himself. Flustered, he ran his hand through his thick hair and snatched my timetable from me. "You've got government now, that's down that hall there, first door on the right. I've got physics on the other side of the school."

"Okay," I said, a bit confused.

Jacob nodded and started off down the hall.

"Jake?"

He turned.

I didn't really know what I wanted to say, so I just smiled. I felt a ridiculous amount of relief when he smiled back.

"We have lunch next. I'll pick you up here."

Then he was gone, around the corner, and I swear the hallway got darker.

"Suck it up, Scott," I muttered, and marched towards the door that Jacob had directed me to, opening it with a swift pull.

The classroom was half empty and an elderly lady with half-moon spectacles was organising papers on her desk. I glanced down at my timetable for her name.

"Mrs. Lake?"

She looked up and beckoned me over to the desk.

"I'm Ada Scott, I'm new here."

I handed her the paper and she signed it with a flourish.

"We have assigned seating in this classroom, Miss Scott, so you'll have to wait up the front here to see what's available."

I nodded and stood awkwardly by the blackboard as students filed in and sat at their desks. When the bell had rung and the last student had closed the door behind him, Mrs. Lake addressed the class.

"Everyone, this is Ada Scott, she's new to La Push. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, Ada."

I cursed internally. What did she want me to say? Hi, I'm Ada, I moved here because my dad murdered my mum?

"Er, hi, I'm Ada, I'm from Vancouver. Vancouver, Washington, not Vancouver, Canada. I'm living with Sam Uley, he's my cousin."

I noticed a few raised eyebrows at his and wondered what these people thought they knew about Sam and the pack. Mercifully, Mrs. Lake let me take a seat next to a shy looking bespectacled boy.

"Hi, I'm Mark," he whispered.

"Ada."

We spent the rest of the class in silence. Mrs. Lake had us doing worksheets and as easy as they were, I had trouble concentrating. My mind kept slipping, sliding away from me to dark places that I didn't want to go. Not now. Not _ever_. But especially not now, in the middle of school. I hated myself for it, because my mother had always told me to never be dependent on a man, but Jacob's absence was like a knife twisting in my gut. When he was with me, I could forget about my mother and father, or at least put it out of my mind. I could laugh and joke and be myself, be _Ada_, but once he was gone I turned into a miserable, depressed shadow of myself.

He was like sunshine, and I needed another fix to keep me warm.

* * *

Just friends.

_Just friends_.

Being just friends with Ada Scott was going to be a lot more difficult than I'd previously imagined.

I couldn't keep my hands off her and the brief, inconsequential touches I'd limited myself to were hardly helping me contain the need, in fact if anything they were making it worse.

But, Ada needed time, as I reminded myself almost constantly (or at least every time she smiled her heart-breaking, disarming smile at me). Although on the surface she acted as if she was recovering, as if she was mending from the loss of her mother, I liked to think I could see a little deeper underneath the exterior. When Ada thought nobody was looking, her eyes darkened and hardened, and her hands clenched into fists, as if she were just barely keeping herself together. And every now and then when she smiled, it hitched in the corners of her mouth, not quite reaching her eyes.

No, Ada Scott wasn't fully healed.

"Oi, bro. Earth to Jacob!"

"What?"

Embry was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Class is finished."

He gestured towards the front of the classroom where the teacher was wiping out the whiteboard. Everyone had left.

"Shit, Ada."

I grabbed my book bag and sprinted out of the room, through the rain in the quad and down the long corridors of the arts building. Ada was leaning against a wall, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. She heard my footsteps and looked up. A grin crept across her face and her eyes brightened, as if I'd chased the shadows away.

"Sorry, I zoned out in class. How was government?"

She shrugged.

"Okay. Mrs. Lake made me introduce myself to the class."

She said it in a jokey matter but I read the undertones of her voice and knew that she hadn't really dismissed it that easily. I took her arm in my hand and stopped our walk down the hall.

"You okay?"

She nodded, her eyes downcast, and tucked her hair behind her ear. It was a nervous habit of hers.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Better now."

I decided that I would read as much into that as I damn well pleased.

"Cafeteria's this way."

In under a minute we'd entered the noisy hall and were loading our plates with food. The huge pile on Ada's plate almost matched mine. I raised my eyebrow at her and she shrugged.

"I'm hungry."

I grinned. I'd always hated when girls picked at salads.

When we sat down with Paul, Embry and Quil, Ada studied the table and raised her eyebrows.

"No girls?"

"Girls have cooties," Quil replied.

She grinned and muttered, "Sausage fest," under her breath. I choked on my soda. She raised a slice of pizza to her mouth and winked at me as she bit into it.

I shook my head.

Yeah.

Being _just friends_ with Ada Scott was going to kill me.

* * *

When Emily came home that evening she was surprised, and I think a little pleased, to find that I had begun preparing dinner for the evening. I'd figured that at least two wolves would be joining us (these boys didn't seem capable of feeding themselves) and so I'd decided on lasagne with garlic bread and a leaf salad. I was layering the pasta when Emily walked in and sank down into a seat. She glanced gratefully at the food I was preparing.

"Rough day?"

Her eyes were tired and they made her scars stand out starkly against her skin. I looked away, frightened at the reality of those marks.

"Yeah. How was your first day?"

I shrugged. "Pretty good. Jake was… a big help."

"I bet. He cares a lot about you."

"I know." She wasn't pushing, but I felt I needed to explain myself anyway. "I just want to take things slowly. So much has happened so quickly, I feel… overwhelmed. It's so silly. I've met this amazing boy who I feel all these things for and I don't know what to do about it and all I can think is that I wish my mum was here to tell me what to do, she was so great with that kind of thing. I just want my mum."

And then I was crying. I dropped the spoon back into the bowl of meat sauce and raised my hands to my face. My chest was heaving, my shoulders shaking, and my throat felt like it was on fire. Emily moved around the table and wrapped her arms around me, alternately shushing me and rubbing circles on my back.

That was how Sam found us, me sobbing in Emily's arms and the kitchen counter covered in food. He didn't say anything, just dropped his work bag on the floor and walked over to us, encircling us both with his strong arms.

After a little while I calmed down and they released me, both stepping back to carefully study my face.

"Go and wash your face, sweetheart," Emily said as Sam squeezed my shoulder. "I'll finish up dinner."

"Okay."

In the bathroom I studied myself. My eyes were red and puffy. I held cold water to them until they looked a little more normal. It seemed to me that as my body had lengthened, my face had matured as well. My cheekbones were higher, my brow was straighter and my cheeks had lost any baby fat that had been present two months ago. I ran my fingers over my lips, which I'd always thought were too thin, and up into my hair, pushing it back from my face. My eyes were my favourite feature, golden hazel, with touches of green around the edges.

I wondered if Jacob thought I was beautiful. I wondered if it mattered. What had Cinderella said_? Do you love me because I am beautiful or am I beautiful because you love me?_ I knew there was more to imprinting than looks, but I didn't exactly cherish the thought that my beauty was dependent on what someone else thought of me. There was something, though, about the way that Jacob looked at me that made me feel like a woman, like I was wanted. I'd seen flashes of it only in passing, I guessed because Jacob was reigning in how he felt, for my sake.

I studied myself in the mirror again. Maybe I had thin lips, maybe my skin wasn't the same smooth russet of Emily's and maybe my hair wasn't the same midnight black as Sam's, but I was beautiful and not because Jacob loved me, but because I loved myself.

I'd spent a few more minutes in the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Sam, a worried frown on his face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I nodded, grateful for his concern. "How was work?"

He shrugged.

"The usual." He ushered me out of the room and together we walked to the kitchen. "How do you feel about patrolling tonight?"

I hesitated.

"With who?"

"Leah and Embry. I could ask Jacob if he can come - "

"No, no," I said, hurrying to stop him. My shoulders sank in relief. "I'd love to."

Both Leah and Embry were in the kitchen. It was general practice for Sam and Emily to feed whoever was patrolling that night, plus whoever else wondered in. I started in on my meal silently, mentally counting how much longer I could go before I'd have to phase with Jacob. We hadn't, since the night he'd found me in the woods, and I wanted to wait as long as possible. I was working so hard to keep the boundary of friendship between us and I knew that as soon as his mind was opened to me and mine to his, any flimsy boundary I'd constructed would be blown aside in just a moment. The thought of being so intimately linked to him, to be able to see his every thought, his dreams, his memories, was terrifying.

That night the three of us pounded the earth of the Quileute boundary with our paws. I'd discovered I wasn't the largest wolf, or the strongest, in fact I was the smallest of the pack. But I was lithe and agile and quick, _very_ quick. In fact, that night Leah and I tested my speed against hers and we seemed to be equally matched: I won every other race. I thought she might be annoyed at meeting a wolf equal to her in speed, but instead she tossed her hair as we pulled on our clothes and said, "Well, at least now someone will be able to keep up with me."


	5. Right Mind

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own it.

A/N: Updates will come a little less often now, I'm back at uni. Thanks for reading! Review!

**Hundred**

_katemary77_

**Chapter Four**

**Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation,**

**Half of my heart takes time**

**Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you **

**That I can't stop loving you.**

_**- Half of My Heart, **_**John Mayer**

"Good morning, sunshine!"

"It's good?" Jacob asked.

I'd been attending La Push High for a week and a bit now, and this morning I'd met Jacob at school, preferring to bike there on Emily's old, rusty bicycle instead of having Jake pick me up.

I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, but the sun was peaking through and there was a forecast for clear blue skies in the afternoon. "Looks good to me." Jacob took my book bag from me while I locked my bike to the rack. "Hey, want to come to the beach this afternoon? It'll be too cold to swim soon."

It was well into September, and the days had been growing steadily cooler each day.

Jacob tapped his finger on my nose and slung my bag over my shoulder for me.

"You're forgetting, young one, that with our super-speshul genes, it's _never_ too cold to swim."

I swatted him away and scoffed, "Young one! I'm a month older than you, baby cakes." I reached up and pinched him on the cheeks and he reacted by hauling me over his back in a fireman's grip.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, "What was that you just called me?"

With my newfound strength I twisted my body upwards, sure that Jacob could hold me even if I decided to do a square dance on his back. I turned up and reached over his shoulders to his face, giving his cheeks another hard squeeze.

"Baby cakes."

He growled and was about to spin me around when Embry raced up the school steps, calling, "Get a room!"

Gently, Jacob put me back onto the ground. His hands around my waist burned my skin and I stepped back with a hesitant grin. "Come on, the bell's about to ring."

He nodded silently and we trudged off to maths class together.

"Do you think we'll get our exams back today?" Jacob asked.

I grimaced. "I hope not. I don't want it back, I know I failed."

"I'm sure you did fine," he responded.

I shrugged. Despite the long hours of study I'd put in, I knew I had failed the exam. Not only was I terrible at maths, but La Push High and the school I'd previously attended hadn't had matching curriculum programs.

"It was a bit unfair, making you take a test on a subject you'd never done before," Jacob said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "But I probably would've failed anyway."

Jacob frowned at me. I knew I was being overly fatalistic, but I'd suffered with bad maths results for so long that I knew pessimism was the only way to guard myself against disappointment.

I wasn't disappointed. One double period of maths later, I was walking out of the classroom with my paper in my hands and a deep frown on my face. Not only had I failed, I'd failed _miserably_.

I felt a warm pressure on my shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry Ada, it's just one test," Jacob told me, squeezing my shoulder softly. He'd passed with flying colours, acing the test with 89% despite not touching the text book to study.

"Yeah," I said quietly, despondent. "Well, I've got government. Have fun in physics, don't blow anything up."

"That's chemistry," he joked mildly. "See you at lunch."

I nodded and walked slowly to government. Mark, my assigned seating neighbour, was already in the classroom and smiled brightly. He was a nice guy, a little awkward, but friendly and smart.

"Hey, Ada, what's up?"

"Not much, how are you going?"

I dropped into my seat and pulled my notebook out of my bag.

"I'm alright. Looking forward to the weekend."

"Yeah, me too."

"Got any plans?"

I was scribbling the date down in the corner of my page and looked up at him.

"Not really. Finishing my English assignment."

Mark grimaced. "Poetry. Not my thing."

I smiled. Our essay was on John Keats, one of my favourite poets.

"Hey, if you want to have a study break at some point, let me know. Maybe we could hang out or something."

He said it very casually, but I could hear an underlying tension in his voice. I turned a little red.

"Oh, er, you mean like a date?"

He nodded, his cheeks matching my blush.

"Oh, um, that's really nice, Mark, but – "

"You're seeing Black," he said, a peculiar tone to his words.

"No, I'm not actually. Jacob and I are good friends. I'm not seeing anyone."

"Then why?" he insisted.

"I don't want to," I said and instantly realised how awful it sounded. "Not because of you. I just don't want to date anyone at the moment. I'm sorry."

"Oh. Well, will you let me know when you want to date?"

I didn't answer him. Blessedly, Mrs. Lake had just walked into the classroom. Mark and I didn't speak for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

We'd swung by Sam's house so I could get changed, and now, wearing my bikini top and board shorts, I was stepping into the shallows of the Pacific Ocean. The water lapped at my ankles. I was moving hesitantly, not because it was cold but because I'd always preferred to take the process of immersing myself in water slowly. I like to enjoy the experience, drag it out, concentrate on the feeling of water against my bare skin.

"Come on, Ada!"

I waved my hands at him.

Jacob, of course, had run headlong into the water and was now beckoning me in.

"I'm coming," I shouted back.

"Hurry up, slow poke!"

I stuck my tongue out at him. The water was mid-waist now and, deciding I'd made him wait long enough, I took a deep breath and dove into the ocean. After a few strong strokes I broke the surface of the water, right beside Jacob. It was up to my neck here but I was easily treading water.

"Finally," he said. He grinned and my heart wrenched. Jacob Black's smile was, in my opinion, the warmest, most beautiful smile in the world.

I tried to smile back but all I could manage was a weak curve of my lips. Instantly Jacob frowned and I felt deeply the loss of his warming smile.

"You're still upset about the exam?"

I nodded, facing away from him and looking out towards the endless ocean. "I'm never going to get into university with marks like that in maths."

"You want to go to university?" Jake asked.

I frowned, turning to him. "Of course. You don't?"

He shrugged. "I used to. But, I guess, after all this happened I sort of stopped thinking about it." He gestured with his large brown hands and I understood 'this' to mean our werewolf heritage coming to life.

"Why should that stop you? There seems to be no threat here and it's not as if Sam can't spare you.

His frown deepened. "Maybe you're right."

"Maybe? Of course I'm right! Jacob, you're so smart." I put my hand on his upper arm. "Don't you want more than our parents had? Don't you want to do more with your life than hang around here and fix cars?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," he retorted, and for the first time since I'd met him I caught the merest trace of anger in his words. I didn't remove my hand.

"I didn't mean to say there is, Jake, but you have so much potential and nothing should stop you from fulfilling it. I'm not going to keep anything from stopping _me_."

He looked down at me and covered my hand with his.

"You're definitely going to college?"

I nodded. He wrapped his hand around mine. He didn't say anything but I knew what he was thinking; neither one of us would want to be apart for the length of time I would be at university.

"Well, it's a moot point anyway, I'll never be going to college if I don't get my grades up," I said, trying to joke and lighten the mood which had suddenly turned serious.

"Maybe I can help you there," Jacob said, his face brightening. "I'll tutor you!"

"Really?" I asked. "You'd do that?"

His face softened. "Of course. On one condition, though. You help me with my English essay."

"Alright," I said, suddenly feeling a lot better. "It's a deal. I'll help you in English and you'll tutor me in maths."

"We'll be an unstoppable team!"

I laughed and impulsively threw my arms around him in an embrace. He laughed too and rested his hands on my bare hips. They were warm and large, encompassing almost my entire waist, and I shivered to feel them on me. We drew back a little, staring intently into each other's faces. For a moment I was sure he would kiss me.

"Um." Jacob cleared his throat and took his hands from my body. "We could start this afternoon, if you want. Come over for dinner. My dad's been hassling me to get you over anyway."

"Okay. That sounds good." I took a step away from Jacob and sunk lower into the ocean. "Race you back to the beach?"

He grinned and launched his body into the water. Laughing and shouting, "Cheater!" I followed him back to shore.

* * *

"Okay, so which poem did you decide to write about?"

We were at Jacob's house. We'd come straight from the beach so I had simply borrowed one of Jake's t-shirts to wear over my swimmers. My hair was still wet and it was making the shirt damp across my back and chest. Sitting in the living room, my legs were curled up underneath me and my English notebook was in my lap. Jacob had his out too, and I despaired to see how few notes he had taken.

"Um, the one about the star. I picked it because it was the shortest."

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you did. So what's it about?"

He rubbed the back of his neck with his fingers.

"Um, a star? And a chick?"

I smiled. "Well, pretty much. Keats is using the metaphor of a star to describe his love for his fiancé, Fanny Brawne."

Jacob's smooth brow crinkled. "What, he's saying that his love is like a ball of gasses?" he said innocently. "That's not very romantic."

"It's _very_ romantic," I countered. "Keats is saying that his love for the woman is as steadfast and as constant as a star in the sky. He's saying that he wants to love her always – be 'Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast' forever."

Jacob's eyebrows rose. "That's pretty hot."

"Lots of poetry is pretty hot," I responded.

His eyebrows rose higher and a cheeky smirk curved his lips.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"We're not talking about other poems, we're talking about 'Bright Star.'"

"Come on," Jacob wheedled. "Tell me what other poems you think are sexy."

"If I promise to tell you later, will you concentrate on Keats?"

"Deal!" he said, grinning triumphantly.

"Alright, moving right along... our essay question asks us how Keats conveys meaning in his poetry, which is pretty much asking what techniques does he use that show us the meaning of his poem?"

"So I could talk about the star metaphor?"

"Definitely. Keats compares the qualities of the star to the qualities of his love. What other techniques are there?"

"Repetition? He says 'still' and 'ever' a few times."

"Which has what effect?"

"Um..." Jacob stared down at the poem in his hands for a few minutes. "I guess it emphasises that he wants to be 'still' forever? Be where he is with his girlfriend forever?"

I smiled widely. "Exactly. And yet in the last line he seems to accept that forever or timelessness isn't possible for us when he says 'And so live ever-or else swoon to death' as if to say he wants to live forever in ecstasy or die in her arms, and either would be okay."

"We'll live forever, you know," Jacob said suddenly. "It's possible for us."

"What do you mean?"

"As long as we keep shifting, we don't age. Not really. We could live for hundreds of years."

"We could?" I felt almost breathless. "Why didn't anyone say anything about that earlier?"

"Because _they_ won't."

"Why not?" I asked, but the expression on his face told me the answer. "Oh. Because we imprinted. Sam, Jared, the others... their imprints will age normally."

Jacob nodded. "So they'll have to stop phasing. But you and I..."

"We're both wolves. Wow." It was a lot to take in.

At that moment, the front door opened wide and Billy Black wheeled into the house.

"Hey, dad."

I stood, pulling at the hem of Jacob's t-shirt and suddenly wishing I'd brought clothes to change into. My board shorts were hardly indecent but they weren't very long at all.

"Well, hello Ada. It's lovely to see you again," the older man said. We'd met very briefly at the bonfire. His eyes crinkled in a smile. _Jacob's smile_, I realised.

"You too, Mr. Black."

"Billy, please," he told me. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yeah, she is," Jake answered. "Ada's helping me with my essay. It's on poetry," he added, poking his tongue out.

"Ah, poetry," Billy said, coming further into the living room and throwing me a wink. "The food of love. 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds/ Admit impediments…'"

I smirked. "'Love is not love/ Which alters when it alteration finds.'"

"'Or bends with the remover to remove,'" Billy finished with a gentle smile. "That was your mother's favourite poem, Jacob. We had it at our wedding."

Jacob smiled at his father and a content moment passed between the three of us.

"Well, I'll start getting dinner ready."

"Let me help you," I offered.

"No, no, you sit down," Billy said.

"Yeah, and keep helping _me._"

I laughed at Jacob and dropped back down next to him on the couch as the sounds of Billy pottering around in the kitchen filtered into the room.

"He likes you," Jacob informed me.

"I like him too. He looks like you. Or you look like him, rather."

Jacob smiled is heart-breaking smile and pulled me to him, throwing his arm over my shoulders. I rested my head against his chest, marvelling at his warmth and the steady beat of his heart under my ear.

"Come on then, tell me some more about this poem."

* * *

A few hours later, after a well-cooked meal and a gruelling session of maths homework, Jacob walked me home. He cradled my hand in his the whole way and we walked in silence, each enjoying the cool night air and the clear sky above.

When we arrived at Emily and Sam's, we paused at the door.

"'Night, Jake. Thanks again for your help."

"Thanks for yours."

I turned to go into the house. As I moved passed Jacob, he grabbed my arm, his fingers running down my skin to my hand.

"Hey. You never did tell me which poems you think are hot."

"Pablo Neruda, 'Every day you play," I told him, after a few beats. He was standing close to me and our eyes were locked together. "'A long time I have loved the sunned mother-of-pearl of your body,'" I recited. "'I go so far as to think that you own the universe. I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, bluebells, dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses. I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.'"

Jacob gulped. I smiled.

"Goodnight, Jacob."

* * *

I studied the confusing little boxes carefully, my brow furrowed and my fingers tracing the page, mumbling under my breath. I was baffled.

Emily came noisily into the kitchen.

"Something up, Ada?"

I turned from the calendar.

"Maybe. I don't know." I looked back at the calendar. "I haven't had my period in about 6 weeks. That's very unlike me." I frowned. "Maybe it's the stress."

"It's not the stress."

I turned around. Emily was looking very guilty.

"I'll call Leah, she'll be the best person to explain this to you."

It didn't take long for Leah to arrive.

"Come on," Emily said, "We'll bring our tea out to the back porch."

"Tea's not going to fix this, Em," Leah said, a hint of scorn in her voice.

"Fix what?" I asked. I was beginning to panic, was something terribly wrong with me? Was I somehow _pregnant_? Had imprinting with Jacob caused some kind of immaculate conception?

Leah sighed and sipped her tea. "Has Jacob told you that you can't age?"

"Yeah, he said that as long as I keep phasing, I'll stay the same."

"That's _literally_ the same," Leah said, "We're virtually frozen in time. For you and I, that means frozen in our _cycle_ as well."

"You mean we don't get our period?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's not too bad. Get's rid of the hassle, really."

"Ada, we don't produce any eggs. You and I can't have children."

My tea dropped out of my hand and onto the patio. The glass didn't break, but the hot liquid sloshed everywhere. I didn't notice.

"What?"

"We can't have children," Leah repeated.

"Ever? But what about when we stop phasing and start aging?"

Leah shrugged. "We don't know. Maybe then, maybe not. But until we stop phasing, you and I aren't really even women."

Emily scoffed. "Leah, there's a lot more to being a woman than having babies."

"What would you know, Emily?" Leah responded sharply.

Emily flinched back, hurt. "Are you okay, Ada?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to go for a walk."

I wasn't okay. By no means was I thinking of having children at any point in the near future, but the thought of never being able to have children shook me. I wanted to be a mother. One day, I wanted to give a child the kind of love that my mother had given me. I wanted children. With a shock, I realised that I wanted to give _Jacob_ children. And now I might never be able to. Would he hold that against me? Would he wish that he had imprinted on somebody who could give him a family? I didn't know.

* * *

"Are you going to see Ada, son?"

I nodded at Dad and pulled a grey t-shirt over my head.

"I'll probably stay there for dinner."

He smiled knowingly and nodded. "See you later then, kiddo."

I waved and left the house, jogging the short walk over to Sam and Emily's cottage. I was buzzing with energy, knowing that I would be seeing Ada in only minutes. She gave me butterflies, and it felt like the very beginning of a relationship, even though we were both in so deep; the flirting, the casual touches, the tingling, the hope I felt whenever she smiled at me or nestled closer to my body when I embraced her.

"Hey, Sam, Em, how's it going?"

I'd let myself into their house, as always. The couple were in the living room, watching something on TV.

"Good, thanks, how are you Jake?"

I nodded. "Awesome. Where's Ada?"

The way that Sam looked at Emily made me nervous.

"Is something wrong?"

Emily shook her head.

"This afternoon Leah and I told Ada that she might not be able to have children. She went for a walk; she's been gone for a couple of hours. I think she was a bit upset."

"I'll find her."

"Jacob, she might want some space – " Emily was saying, but I was already out of the house. It was growing dark outside. I was sure that Ada wouldn't get lost, but all the same I wouldn't feel right until I'd seen her. Removing the shirt and pants I'd only just put on, I crouched to the ground and shifted. My senses exploded around me. It didn't take long for me to discern the spring flower smell of Ada from the tangy smell of the sea and the richness of the pine forest. I set off at a trot.

Her scent stopped about three kilometres into the forest from Emily and Sam's place. I shifted back and pulled my jeans on. I couldn't see her, but she could see me.

"Up here," came a soft voice.

I looked up. Ada was sitting on the lowest branch of a tall, thick tree.

"How did you get up there?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I _climbed_."

"Oh. Right."

I made quick work of the tree and dropped down next to her on the branch. We sat in silence until, finally, Ada spoke.

"When you told me that we could live forever, why didn't you tell me that we won't be able to have children?"

A thrill went through me at her words; her desire to be with me forever.

"Because we don't know that. And because it's not important to me."

She looked at me, her hazel green eyes sad and disbelieving.

"It's not?"

I shook my head.

"But you are."

"How do you know, Jake? How do you know that in ten years, fifty years, a hundred years, you won't want children?"

"I just do. I just know that you'll always be enough for me. There's nothing else I want. I… I hope that I'm enough for you to."

"Oh, Jake."

With her small hands she lifted one of my arms and placed it around her, tucking herself underneath.

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to.

* * *

_**A/N: please remember to REVIEW. Thanks!**_


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